Skills
The Following Secondary Skills are available to starting characters as non-career skills.
Firearms (AGL) - used for slug and energy weapon attacks. Untrained characters still have a base rating in Firearms. Available to Fighters and Knights as a career skill.
Tech Use (INT) - used to manipulate the technology of the Ancients, and to pilot their strange vehicles. Untrained characters still have a base rating in Tech Use. Available to Scholars and Merchants as a career skill.
Species - Replaces Kin
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1. Basic Android (Robot)
Hit Dice: 30 hp
Mutations (Augments): 3 beneficial, any category
Base Movement: 10 meters.
Basic androids have a metal skeleton, and are entirely inorganic constructs. Starting equipment determines their AV, if any, eg an Android Knight with 'great helm & plate' would have an AV 8 carapace. Androids receive standard boons & banes to Sneaking skill for this carapace armour. They do not receive any banes to Acrobatics, Evade, Awareness & Missile attacks for armour.
AV Description
0 Light Epidermis (Boon to Sneaking if AV 0)
1 Toughened Epidermis (-)
2 Composite Epidermis (Bane to Sneaking)
4 Mesh Epidermis (Bane to Sneaking)
6 Plate Epidermis (Bane to Sneaking)
+1 Toughened Skull (-)
+2 Plated Skull (-)
Androids have functionally the same range of ability scores as humans, and will have the same movement (10), unless any of these characteristics have been augmented. All basic androids have a base hp total of 30. Androids do not eat, and are powered by an internal radioactive battery that can sustain power functions for many hundreds of years. Basic Androids are affected by radiation as if it is 3 class levels lower (minimum of class 1) than its rating, and they never receive mutations as the result of radiation exposure.
They are resistant to the effects of heat and cold, and take half damage from heat or cold based attacks. All basic androids are immune to the effects of poison, including paralytic poisons. They are immune to any stun or blinding effects that occur as the result of attacking the senses, such as the mutations shriek, and optic emissions (bright eyes).
2. Synthetic
Hit Dice: 25 hp
Mutations (Augments): 3 beneficial, any category
Base Movement: 10 meters.
Synthetics are highly advanced androids. Although they are wholly inorganic, they have many functions that mimic biological processes. They have something resembling a vascular system that circulates a milky white fluid. From the outside they are completely indistinguishable from normal humans, and their true nature may only be revealed through advanced sensors. Injury will also reveal them for what they are. They will appear to be warm, living beings if observed with thermal vision. Synthetics have a polymer skeleton, with synthetic muscles. They are equipped with a power generation system that mimics biological digestion, allowing them to eat in order to maintain their power supplies. However, they do not heal naturally, and must be repaired. A Stretch or Shift rest includes self-repair subroutines.
Synthetics may have the full range of normal human abilities and movement, and have a base hp total of 25. Like all androids, synthetics can have adjusted abilities to reflect constructs created for fighting or other specialized tasks.
Synthetics are affected by radiation as if it is 1 class level lower than its rating (minimum of class 1), and they never receive mutations as the result of radiation exposure. They are resistant to the effects of heat and cold, and take half damage from heat or cold based attacks. All synthetics are immune to the effects of poison, including paralytic poisons.
3. Replicant
Hit Points: 2 per point of CON
Mutations (Augments): 3 beneficial, any category
Base Movement: 10 meters.
A replicant is an artificial biological organism, grown in a vat from synthetically created DNA and chromosomes. They are designed to mimic humans in all ways, and are completely indistinguishable from humans unless their DNA is analyzed. Replicants are the rarest of androids, because they have a lifespan of only five years. A functioning replicant factory must exist to produce them.
Some replicants may be located in ruins, in cryosleep much like human clones can be. Because of replicants’ unique biological nature, they are handled in game terms just as any other living creature. They eat and heal like any living being.
Replicants have the ordinary range of human abilities, and will have the same movement as a human. They calculate hp as 2 per point of CON. They are resistant to the effects of heat and cold, taking half damage from heat or cold based attacks. Replicants are susceptible to radiation, but they do not mutate in the same way as other animals. If a replicant is exposed to radiation sufficient to induce a mutation, the mutation will take the form of a wasting disease that will kill the replicant in 2d6 weeks, and 1d6 is subtracted from each ability per week. If any ability reaches 0, the replicant dies.
There is no cure for this disease, but at the ML’s option an automated replicant factory may be capable of repairing a replicant in this condition.
4. Mutant Animal
Hit Dice: 2 per point of CON
Mutations: 1d4 physical, 1d4 mental
Base Movement: 10 meters.
Mutant animals have radically altered DNA as a result of both human/animal gene splicing and the effects of radiation. Player character Mutant Animals are assumed to have human level intelligence, before any mutations are selected. Specifics regarding whether a mutant animal has functioning hands, is able to speak, or is otherwise anthropomorphic (or not) in any way is handled on a case by case basis with the Mutant Lord, unless the mutant animal comes from an already established “race.” By default, all of these characteristics can be selected for “free” before mutations are rolled. Other abilities or limitations innate to the stock animal should be decided with the Mutant Lord. It is fair to assume that the mutant already has some form of manipulators, like hands, and is capable of speech (if desired) before mutations are rolled.
A mutant animal may choose one natural weapon at character creation, appropriate to his animal type. Damage from a natural weapon should be rolled using a d6; 1-2 1d8; 3-4 1d10; 5-6 2d6. Typical natural weapons include horns, teeth, or claws.
5. Mutant Human
Hit Dice: 2 per point of CON
Mutations: 1d4 physical, 1d4 mental
Base Movement: 10 meters.
Descended from the general mass of pre-apocalypse humanity, mutant humans are humans whose genetic makeup has become altered by radiation. Mutations could be new, that is, not shared by the parents, or they could be mutations passed on from parent to offspring. Depending on how different a mutant human looks from a pure human, a mutant could be discriminated against in society.
6. Mutant Plant
Hit Dice: 2 per point of CON
Mutations: 2 plant, 1d6 human/animal.
Base Movement: 8 meters.
For a mutant plant to be a PC, it is assumed that it begins as an intelligent and independently mobile creature (with standard movement), prior to rolling for mutations. It can be humanoid in appearance, but does not have to be. Considerable discretion must be used in creating these characters (see Mutant Animal), and their specific features and capabilities should be decided with the guidance of the Mutant Lord. All mutant plants may roll for 2 plant mutations, and 1d6 human/animal mutations to be divided between Physical and Mental Mutations (an odd number may be assigned to either category).
7. Pure Strain Human
Hit Dice: 3 per point of CON
Mutations: None
Base Movement: 10 meters.
This character type represents a human who has pure, or unaltered, genetic makeup from the radiation-resistant, genetically sculpted, 'Homo Superior' that existed prior to the end of civilization, as the offspring of Earth's wealthy ruling elite, or as super-soldiers, space colonists, etc. These people tend to receive preferential treatment in society because they appear the most healthy and attractive individuals. Natural selection has further favoured tougher, smarter humans in the post apocalyptic Hell where survival is a constant test of abilities. Without an edge granted by mutations, higher Charisma, Intelligence, and Constitution have been further favoured, granting a Pure Human +3 to each of these abilities at creation. Attributes remain limited to a maximum of 18, prior to attribute deduction for Old Age.
Finally, at character creation pure humans have 3 hp per point of CON for their hp total. Pure humans may take damage from radiation like any other character, but they never mutate as a result of radiation exposure. Pure humans have gene-engineered immunity against this effect.
Human/Animal Mutations
Physical Mutations
Roll d00 Beneficial
01-02 Aberrant Form
03-04 Chameleon Epidermis
05-06 Complete Wing Development
07 Density Alteration (Self)
08-09 Dermal Poison Slime
10-11 Dual Headed
12-13 Dwarfism
14-16 Echolocation
17-18 Energy Ray
19 Energy Retaining Cell Structure
20-21 Epidermal Photosynthesis
22-23 Fragrance Development
24-25 Gigantism
26-27 Increased Balance
28-29 Increased Physical Attribute
30-31 Increased Sense
32-33 Metamorph
34 Natural Armor
35-36 Night Vision
37-38 Optic Emissions
39 Parasitic Control
40-41 Prehensile Tail
42-43 Quickness
44-45 Reflective Epidermis
46 Regenerative Capability
47-48 Shriek
49-50 Spiny Growth
51-53 Thermal Vision
54 Toxic Weapon
55-56 Ultraviolet Vision
57 Unique Sense
Drawbacks
58-59 Albinism
60-61 Bizarre Appearance
62-63 Epidermal Susceptibility
64-65 Frailty
66-67 Hemophilia
68-69 Increased Caloric Needs
70-71 Obese
72-73 Pain Insensitivity
74-75 Pain Sensitivity
76-79 Pituitary Deformation
80-83 Poison Susceptibility
84-86 Prey Scent
87-88 Reduced Immune System
89-90 Reduced Oxygen Efficiency
91-93 Sensory Deficiency
94-95 Simian Deformity
96-98 Slow Mutant
99-00 Vision Impairment
Mental Mutations
Roll d00 Beneficial
01-03 Ability Boost
04-05 Accumulated Resistance
06-08 Acute Hyper Healing
09-10 Ancestral Form
11-13 Body Adjustment
14-15 Combat Empathy
16-18 Control Light Waves
19-20 Control Weather
21-23 Damage Turning
24-25 Density Alteration (Others)
26-27 Disintegration
28-30 Dual Cerebellum
31-33 Empathy
34-35 Flight, Psionic
36-38 Force Screen
39-40 Force Screen, Greater
41-42 Increased Willpower
43-45 Intellectual Affinity
46-47 Killing Sphere
48-50 Know Direction
51-53 Mental Barrier
54-56 Mental Phantasm
57-59 Metaconcert
60-61 Mind Thrust
62-63 Neural Telekinesis
64-66 Neural Telepathy
67-68 Plane Shift
69-70 Possession
71-72 Precognition
73-75 Mind Reflection
76-78 Quick Mind
79-80 Teleport
81-82 Temperature Control
83-85 Vampiric Field
Drawbacks
86-87 Atrophied Cerebellum
88-89 Dual Cerebellum (Defective)
90-92 Mind Reflection (Defective)
91-93 Negative Empathy
94-95 Phantasmal Damage
96-98 Phobia
99-00 Weak Will
Plant Mutations
Roll d00 Beneficial
01-04 Abnormal Size*
05-07 Accumulated Resistance
08-10 Animal Limbs or Organs
11-13 Animate Seeds*
14-16 Carnivore
17-19 Chameleon Metamorph
20-23 Dermal Acid Sap
24-27 Dermal Poison Sap
28-30 Electric Charge Generation
31-33 Flight
34-36 Fragrance Development (Plants)
37-39 Free Movement*
40-42 Full Senses*
43-45 Grenade-like Fruit
46-48 Injected Poison Sap
49-51 Natural Armor (Plant)
52-54 Natural Vegetal Weapons
55-57 Poisonous Spores
58-60 Prehensile Tendrils
61-63 Projectile Thorns
64-67 Radioactive Emissions
68-70 Reflective Cellular Structure
71-73 Shriek (Plant)
74-77 Thermal Emissions
78-80 Tripping Tendrils*
81-83 Vegetal Parasite
Drawbacks
84-86 Nocturnal
87-90 Prey Scent
91-94 Reduced Fertility*
95-00 Thermal Sensitivity
*These mutations are either inappropriate to PC plants, or are
assumed to already be present on all PCs.
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FOOD VENDORS
Vendors are most often set up in settlements that are townsized or larger, although there may also be traveling food vendors who peddle preserved foods. Vendors have a dizzying array of culinary delights. They sell everything from the tried and true wasteland treat that is rat-on-astick to giant crab legs and mystery meat. The following chart gives a few suggested items and prices for the various treats available from these vendors.
Food Vendor Wares Cost
Bag of assorted berries 1 cp
Bag of smoked insects 2 cp
Dried salamander 1 sp
Giant crab leg 3 gp
Giant mole burger 2 sp
Giant Killer Bee honey (jar) 3 gp
Mystery meat kabob 5 cp
Pickled hemofowl egg 10 gp
Rabboxen Milk 5 cp
Rabboxen steak 3 gp
Rat on a stick 3 cp
Roasted meerkat 2 sp
Spidergoat haunch 5 gp
Xeno jerky 2 cp
Xeno liquor (jar) 6 sp
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Food Vendor Descriptions
Bag of assorted berries: Just what it sounds like, a bag of assorted berries picked from the less dangerous plants of the wasteland.
Bag of smoked insects: No longer relegated to the status of nuisance, these tasty insects have been gathered and smoked to give them a spicy flavor.
Dried salamander: These small lizards are carefully sundried, and often served with some kind of dip.
Giant crab leg: (Only available in coastal areas) The giant crab leg is a messy meal, and it is assumed that the purchaser will have his own weapon to break open the tough shell.
Giant Killer Bee honey (jar): This reddish-gold honey is a slight intoxicant, and will stay fresh even during extensive wasteland travel.
Giant mole burger: This patty of ground mole meat is served on a toasted piece of bread.
Mystery meat kabob: These thick, juicy kabobs are cheap, but packed with meat. I wonder what they are made of?
Pickled hemofowl egg: This radiation purging egg is pickled in a flavorful brine.
Rabboxen milk: Nothing beats a nice, warm glass of rabboxen milk!
Rabboxen steak: These delicious steaks are expensive, but worth it. The tender meat is rich and tasty.
Rat on a stick: Rats and sticks are plentiful in the wasteland; it was bound to happen.
Roasted meerkat: These difficult to capture animals make a tasty treat when roasted slowly over an open fire.
Spidergoat haunch: The spidergoat haunch is a large chunk of spicy meat.
Xeno jerky: Xeno jerky usually refers to thin strips of dried meat cut from xeno cattle, but it can also refer to any salted and dried meat.
Xeno liquor (jar): These intoxicating liquors are fashioned from different plants and animal products, and then sold by the jar. Their ingredients (and their effects) are decided by the Mutant Lord.
Wasteland Services
Junk Merchants
Junk merchants carry a wide variety of useful objects found in their travels, and barter at every stop along the way. They tend to operate in areas where there are multiple settlements within reasonable traveling distance. Junk merchants often work in small groups of no more than two or three individuals in order to protect one another while still retaining a larger portion of the profit from the sales of their goods. They will sometimes hire characters to guard them as they travel from settlement to settlement.
Junk merchants usually have a few locations where they scavenge most of their more valuable items, and they tend to keep these locations a closely guarded secret from other merchants and adventurers. If their scavenging ground is particularly well stocked, one junk merchant may supply a number of stationary shops in settlements.
Slave Traders
The slave traders are despicable individuals who rove the wastelands capturing and selling humans and mutants into slavery. Those captured by the slavers are subjected to abuse until they become docile and manageable, whereupon the slavers travel to settlements and sell them for hefty sums, making anywhere from 5 to 500 gp per slave. Many settlements are aghast at the use of slaves, and will prominently display signs declaring slavers unwelcome, but shadier wasteland settlements may employ slaves for any number of purposes.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology Condition
When characters find technological artifacts, the artifacts may or may not have survived in functional condition. Condition of artifacts is always graded on a scale of 0-5, with 0 being broken condition and 5 being pristine condition. Each rating has a probability that the item is in functioning condition. Roll on the table below to determine whether a technological artifact is functional.
Roll d00 Condition Grade Functional on 1d20
01-10 5 1-19
11-20 4 1-16
21-30 3 1-12
31-50 2 1-8
51-70 1 1-4
71-00 0 Nonfunctional
Technology Rolls
Assuming a technological artifact is functional when
found, there is a probability that a character can figure out
how to use it. There are three complexity classes, and each
encompasses different kinds of artifacts. Each class will
have a base chance and base time expenditure to
determine artifact use.
Class 1 includes lesser complex items, such as most mundane explosives, slug throwing pistols, and energy weapons.
Class 2 includes moderately complex items like powered weapons, armor, or robots.
Class 3 includes highly advanced technology, such as computers, medical technology, or other technology that does not lend itself well to experimentation to determine function.
Complexity Class Base Chance Base Time - Examples
1 Tech Skill with Boon (d20) 2 hours - Slug guns, grenades, energy weapons, non-powered armor.
2 Tech Skill 3 hours - Vehicles, robots, powered armor
3 Tech Skill with Bane 4 hours - Computers, medical technology, other very complex technology
A character rolls his Tech Skill chance to determine use. While examining the item, the character must devote his full effort and concentration to it, and time passes as indicated by the complexity class.
A Demon roll always indicates that the attempt has failed drastically, and the character will have damaged himself and/or nearby characters if the item is such that this is possible. Regardless of the penalties a character may have to this roll, it will always succeed on a Dragon roll. A player may roll again an unlimited number of times if the initial roll fails, and the amount of game time passes again for this examination.
My Beautiful Assistant: One other character with Technology Skill of 10+ may lend a hand, adding one Boon to the skill check. This does not shorten the time necessary for the examination of artifacts.
Familiarity: When a character is familiar with a specific kind of artifact, he does not need to roll again when he encounters the exact same artifact. He does roll again for similar artifacts, with a Boon.
COMBAT
Firearms
A firearm has a Fire Rate (FR) which determines the maximum number of shots per attack action. Characters may opt to fire fewer times. All tarets must be within a 90 degree cone. Note that reloading requirements may prevent some weapons from firing more than once in a round.
Firearms halve the AV of primitive armours, but not advanced armours.
Radiation
Radiation is a common hazard in the post-apocalyptic nuclear future. Many regions emanate a level (class) of radiation left over from nuclear fallout. Some mutants actually produce radiation from their bodies as weapons.
The listed damage for radiation occurs per exposure from an attack, or per round for intense background radiation powerful enough to cause instant damage.
Some areas may emanate radiation that causes damage more slowly, even if it is of a higher class. If characters encounter this weaker background radiation during their overland travels, it is assumed that the saving throws are made once per day, and that the characters suffer the effects daily rather than per round.
A successful CON check can reduce damage by half. Note that if a character fails 5 CON checks versus radiation in one day, the character receives one new random mutation. Whenever a mutation indicates a radiation attack, roll on the table below to determine the effects of the radiation.
Radiation Class Table
Roll
d10 Class Fail/Pass CON Check Effects
1 1 1d6 damage /None
2 2 2d6 damage /Half damage
3 3 3d6 damage /Half damage
4 4 4d6 damage /Half damage
5 5 5d6 damage /Half damage
6 6 6d6 damage /Half damage
7 7 7d6 damage /Half damage
8 8 8d6 damage /Half damage
9 9 9d6 damage /Half damage
10 10 10d6 damage /Half damage
Sample Creatures of the Wastelands
Average Hit Points = 3 per hit die (HD). Tough monsters have 4.5 hit points per hit die. Hit Points may also be generated randomly by rolling a number of d6 equal to the listed hit dice. For tough monsters, use d8s.
HD Skill Level (Typical) for NPCs & Animals
1/2 8
1-1 9
1 10
2-3 11
4-5 12
6-7 13
8-9 14
10-11 15
12-13 16
14-15 17
16+ 18
Accipitoid (NPC)
HD 5 HP 15 AV 0 Move 8 (walk) 20 (fly)
Attack: Claw/Bite Skill 12 damage 2d6 slashing
Skills: Brawling 12 Evade 12
Accipitoids or Hawk Men are tall (6’) slender humanoids. They live on mountains, or in cliffs near the ocean or other large bodies of water. They have two well-developed arms in addition to large wings that have a typical wingspan of 18’ when extended. Although they may use technological artifacts, they prefer to attack with their claws, and a powerful bite attack from their serrated beaks. Their clawed feet are capable of grasping and carrying objects during flight.
Mutations: complete wing development, increased sense (sight)
Android, Clone Neutralizer (NPC)
HP 30 AV 3 (toughened epidermis, plated skull) Move 10
Skills: Bushcraft 15 Firearms 15 Evade 15 Brawling 15
These basic androids typically have bright, obviously artificial flesh. They were utilized by large clone banks to destroy unnecessary clones when updated versions had been successfully grown. The clone neutralizers would dispatch these clones with MK 2 laser pistols (skill 15, 6d6 hp damage, FR 1) built into the palms of their hands. At some point during the apocalypse, the genetic scanning programs of these androids were corrupted, causing them to view all pure humans as clones. The programming of a clone neutralizer dictates that they must exterminate clones on sight, so they will always attack pure humans with the intent of eradicating them.
Mutations (android abilities): none
Android, Medic (NPC)
HP 25 AV 0+ Move 10
Skills: Evade 10 Healing 20
This model of synthetic saw use on the battlefields of many pre-apocalypse conflicts. It was meant to serve as a field doctor for groups of soldiers in locations expecting heavy casualties. The cosmetic appearances of the medic androids varied, as the military attempted to make them blend in with the soldiers at a distance so they would not be targeted first, as were older robotic medic units. The medic android is capable of using all manner of weapons, and can do anything a regular soldier can do. The medic android is fully capable of performing complex surgeries, including the transplantation of organs if equipment and facilities are available. A character can always heal +1d6 hit points per stretch rest when under the care of a medic android.
Mutations (android abilities): none
Ant, Giant (Animal)
HD 4 (tough) HP 18 AV 3 Move 14
Attack: Bite skill 12 damage 2d6 piercing
These giant mutated ants are hardy and adaptable. Workers are about 6’ long, but the Queen (HP 45, no attacks) may be immense. Giant ants eat almost anything, since they are omnivores, and will never retreat if defending the nest. They will tend to only have a small amount of treasure around from past opponents, but in some rare instances giant ants will inexplicably mine precious metals. This occurs in about 30% of nests, and there will be as much as 1d10x100 gold pieces worth of raw gold nuggets.
Ant Horror (Monster)
These giant (8’ long) mutated ants are bright red, with two heads and a whip-like tail equipped with a Potency 13 poisonous stinger. They generally either attack by biting with both heads, or using their whip-like tails. However, 1/6 of the time each head may emit a radioactive energy ray. Ant horrors are immune to the effects of radiation.
Ferocity 2 HD 6 (tough) HP 27 AV 3 Move 12
1-3: Two Heads Bite! Two targets, 2d8 damage per bite, can be Parried.
4-5: Tail Stinger! One target, 1d10 hp damage plus Potency 13 Lethal poison.
6: Two Radiactive Energy Rays! The rays are 10 meters long & deals class 6 radiation damage to two separate targets.
Mutations: dual headed, gigantism, toxic weapon, energy ray (radiation), reflective epidermis (radiation)
Apeman (NPC)
HD 7 HP 21 AV 0 Move 12
Skill 13 damage: by weapon, eg Long Spear 2d6+1d6 (reach), Great Club 2d8+1d6
Apemen are the descendants of genetic experiments carried out on apes during the long war years prior to the apocalypse. They were used as battle fodder in wars on and off-world. They are a hybrid of humans and apes, with the keen intellect of humans but the strength of apes. Therefore, in combat apemen receive a STR bonus of +1d6 to damage. Apemen can live in any environment humans might live, but they prefer to live in forests. A typical “village” will have a population of 5d8 individuals. In this community, there is usually a stronger individual in charge, who has a Skill level of 15 and 30 hit points.
Mutations: none
Pigman (NPC)
HD 7 HP 21 AV 3 (Studded & Open Helm) Move 10
Skill 13 damage: by weapon eg long spear 2d8 (reach); or 4d6 (heat ray)
These mutated humans have pig-like faces and are melanistic, with deep black skin and black hair. They are naturally cruel and violent; they delight in torturing victims and have a particularly nasty disposition toward pure humans. However, their most hated enemies are suidoids.
Pigmen attack with weapons or their energy ray (heat). Pigmen have evolved to travel in small groups with individuals who never stray far from one another, since their mutation negative empathy makes it difficult for pigmen to disperse and reassemble without being reduced to bloodshed. Small bands communicate with each other from a distance with hand signals and other signs if each party wishes to avoid conflict. Mates are exchanged between groups through lengthy rituals that may involve days of acclimatization before groups come into full contact with one another. Pigmen often terrorize communities with guerilla-like tactics ideal to their small numbers, but they occasionally manage to team up in large enough numbers to raid a settlement, all while slaughtering some of their own in the process. These larger raiding groups may number 1d6x3d6 Pigmen.
Mutations: bizarre appearance, energy ray, negative empathy, thermal vision
